TAMOXIFEN TREATMENT IN MALE-INFERTILITY .1. EFFECT ON SPERMATOZOA

Objective: To evaluate the effects of tamoxifen treatment on sperm den sity, motility, vitality, and morphology. Design: Placebo-controlled, randomized study. Setting: Outpatient department. Interventions: Patie nts were assigned to two comparable groups: group A (n = 122) was trea ted with 10 mg tamoxifen twice daily for a period of 3 months and grou p B (n = 117) was given placebo for the same period of time, following a previously randomized design. Main Outcome Measures: In every patie nt sperm density, motility, viability, and morphology were evaluated 3 months after cessation of treatment. Results: Mean sperm density in g roup A improved significantly with a more pronounced improvement in se vere oligozoospermic men. Sperm density was found significantly improv ed compared with group B. Dead spermatozoa in group A significantly de creased after tamoxifen treatment and were also found significantly de creased compared with group B. Conclusion: It is concluded that tamoxi fen exerts a beneficial effect on sperm density and number of live spe rmatozoa but it has no substantial effect in sperm motility and morpho logy.